Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Oatmeal Ice Cream Sandwiches

Hungry photographer + delicious ice cream sandwiches = 25 photos of half eaten sandwiches.
Just like this one.
I'm back! Hope everyone had a nice new years and holiday season. Mine was extended by Mother Humble's fashionably late arrival for a post-new years Christmas but now everyone is back in their respective homes/countries and things are settling back into the normal Humble routine.

Routine being my destroying plenty of perfectly good ingredients during mommy-brained addled cooking attempts.

Just last week we had an epic cheesecake failure, which I will not go into detail about. Those of you who follow my occasional ramblings on Facebook know what I'm talking about and no, as I learned the next morning it did not taste good.

Not everything is turning out badly, thankfully. I made these ice cream sandwiches today and oh my goodness they are wonderful. Just sinfully good. Of course, this may be the pregnancy talking, since my feelings towards certain foods lately can be irrationally exuberant.



Crunchy and chewy, these spiced oatmeal cookies are sandwiched with vanilla ice cream swirled with dulce de leche. Exuberance? Hardly, these are good.

Like my feelings for anything with vinegar in or on it, or our new local Din Tai Fung, which has earned somewhat mixed reviews in Northwest foodie circles. However, I've been there twice in two weeks and scarfing down hand made steamed dumplings with such abandon that people shift away in their chairs and shield their young children's eyes.

I don't think you need to be irrational to love these.
They're hand-made xiao long bao! In the Seattle area! Critics be damned, I've waited up to two hours in line for those dumplings and I--and everyone else in line, apparently--won't be gainsaid by those who have had better in Taiwan or China (of course they're better there). I love those things.

Wait... how did I get on the topic of dumplings in a post about cookies? Oh yes, my exuberance for food lately (so glad the morning sickness has passed). Okay so these oatmeal sandwiches!



I've been craving ice cream sandwiches lately but wanted something a little more grown up. Something with more texture and character than the run of the mill chocolate/vanilla style. So I decided to play around with oatmeal and create a lovely thin cookie that sandwiches well. It is lightly spiced and provides a nice crunchy-chewy texture. Fresh from the oven, they're delightfully soft, but given some time to fully cool, they will crisp up a bit and be sturdy enough to sandwich.

Today I had a very happy pregnant woman moment with a generous slab of dulce de leche ice cream sandwiched between these thin oatmeal cookies. Calcium and whole grains, right?! That's good for me!

Yea... I'm not fooling myself. Between these, the rapidly growing baby and those dumplings, I've hidden my bathroom scale.




Thin Oatmeal Sandwich cookies
yields roughly three dozen large cookies
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature*
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1 large egg
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 2/3 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
generous pinch ground cloves
generous pinch fresh grated nutmeg
1-1/2 cups rolled oats

1/3 cup turbanado sugar, optional

*The butter should be soft but still have a chill. You don't want the butter to melt or the batter to get too warm, so be mindful when working in a warm kitchen. Transfer the dough to the refrigerator to chill before rolling into balls if necessary.

Preheat your oven to 350 and line your pans with parchment or silicone baking mats.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and spices. Set aside.

Cream the butter and sugars together until light and
fluffy. Add the egg and mix until combined, then mix in the vanilla. Mix in the flour on low speed until moistened and combined. Stir in the rolled oats with a wooden spoon.

Roll the cookies into 1" balls (roughly 23 grams each) and flatten slightly. Give plenty of room to spread on the baking sheet. Top with turbanado sugar if desired.

Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes. The longer the cookies are baked, the crispier they will be.

Cool on a wire rack.



Non-pregnant Ms. Humble probably would have made ice cream from scratch to sandwich these cookies, but let's face it non-pregnant Ms. Humble is nuts. Pregnant Ms. Humble went to the store and bought herself some ice cream. Caramel, vanilla, cinnamon and the blog's brown sugar ice cream will all pair wonderfully with these cookies.

Look for inexpensive ice cream. Those brands tend to beat more air into the ice cream and will be softer and easier to work with when making these sandwiches. Allow the ice cream to soften a little and then assemble huge scoops and squish them between your cookies. Trim any excess ice cream off with a knife or offset spatula and then quickly place finished sandwiches in the freezer. Wrap the sandwiches once firm, they'll keep frozen for 1-2 weeks.

I should note these cookies can and should be sandwiched with any number of other delicious fillings. Go nuts, you have my permission.


(P.S. We found out we're having a boy!)

41 comments:

  1. I'm sorry, all I heard was dumplings. Could you repeat that part ... and then the other parts I missed???

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  2. I have so many photos of those dumplings...


    They haunt me.

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  3. Ahaha! You are so funny! So, if you have pregnancy to blame, what is my excuse? :)

    I am going to make those cookie sandwiches tomorrow. I can't wait! thanks for sharing the recipe.

    :), luckynumber3.com

    ***

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  4. xiao long pao!!!!!!!!! slurp... and the oatmeal cookies look AMAZING..

    and CONGRATS!!!!!!! very exciting news.. :D

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  5. I make oatmeal cookie ice cream sandwiches every summer. They're super yummy...And, the tip about buying inexpensive ice cream is a good one.

    And, I am salivating over those dumplings. I live hundreds of miles away from anything yummy like that!

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  6. Ohhhhhhh soup dumplings.... I haven't had xiao long bao in so long!

    And ice cream... even though it's snowing in NJ I could totally go for some, now that I'm couped up in my apartment and can't get out.

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  7. Congratulations on the boy! How lovely. :)

    These look so good. I do love oatmeal sandwiches and ice cream. There's a brand around here that sells huckleberry swirl ice cream. Now that would be amazing in an oatmeal ice cream sandwich. I'm going to have to try it.

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  8. YUM!!! I seriously contemplated making this just now, even though I'm already in my pjs in bed! :) Can't wait to try these soon- I will probably go with the cinnamon ice cream!

    -Marissa
    http://noraisinsonmyparade.com

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  9. I'll give the cookies a try now. However, since it's a balmy 10 degrees outside, I think I'll wait a bit to try the ice cream sandwiches.

    Congrats on the little boy. Yep, the vinegar's always a sign.

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  10. Yum those ice cream sandwiches look to-die-for! YUM! :)

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  11. Hey congrats about the Little New Humble Man!
    I got pregnant just about the same time as you did and we found out it is a girl! We should meet up ;)
    I really can't indulge in these amazing sandwiches right now but I'm keeping the recipe for better times, sweets-wise speaking!

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  12. I've got some butterscotch pecan ice cream waiting in my freezer to be turned into ice cream sandwiches... was just waiting for the right cookie! I think these will more than suffice :) Congrats on the boy! So exciting!

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  13. Delightful post, even more so than usual (which is difficult!), thanks, and missed your messages, welcome back...and congrats, again. Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year to us all.

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  14. Congrats on the boy!

    and xiao long bao FTW!

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  15. hey!
    I am happy you are back! Good to hear from you!
    I am also pregnant! I am in my 13th week, so there is still a long way to go...
    my best wishes

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  16. Sounds extremely delicious. And a healthy alternative to chocolate chip cookie ice cream (perhaps unintentionally:))

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  17. a baby boy, an ice cream sandwich & you always make me laugh!
    kudos!!
    interesting fact about the inexpensive ice cream.

    fyi: i baked your bittersweet chocolate tart for the holidays... the taste was incredible & the presentation beautiful…everyone loved, loved it! thank you!

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  18. Hooray! Congratulations on the boychild, although I am of the old-fashioned opinion that the discovery should be at delivery. As they say in the Fantastiks, "Plant a radish, get a radish..." With gardens (and good recipes) you know what to expect; that's as it should be. I have 2 grandchildren due this spring, one a girl, and one a "we'll find out then." I can't wait until they're old enough to have these wonderful ice cream sandwiches when they come to visit G'anny!

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  19. These look great and Happy 3rd Birthday to the LIttle Humble!

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  20. The ice cream sandwiches look yummy. I'm longing for warm summer weather to enjoy them in!

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  21. Congrats on you boy! Woo hoo.

    This icecream sandwich is made of my dreams, I would love this with a hot coffee...which might sound weird but it's what I want!

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  22. I agree - calcium and whole grains make these guilt free ;)

    Congratulations, by the way!

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  23. Congrats on the news of a baby boy! I bet Little Humble #1 is going to love having a brother. Someone to pick on!

    Please do me a favor and name him Blaze Danger (doesn't every kid want to tell the world, "Danger is my middle name!") so I can tell my husband the name is taken. Thanks. :)

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  24. Congratulations! A little Mr Humble.
    :)
    Sandwiches are my favourite way to eat ice cream, but I've ever tried oatmeal cookies--I usually go with homemade graham crackers.

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  25. We are absolutely stumped when it comes to deciding on a boy's baby name. We had a girls name picked within days, but boys are so tough!

    Too many ex's, skeevy former coworkers, and serial killers out there monopolizing all the good boy baby names.

    Blaze Danger, hmm... that name doesn't fall into any of the above categories... could work. Blaze Danger Humble

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  26. You should have a 'Name My Son' comp. I vote for Toby!

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  27. I stumbled across your blog awhile back and have loved it for so long. My mates from my lab and I have had such a scream at your amazing science entries. Also, can I just say that your photography is beautiful, as I'm sure your baby boy will be. Many congratulations :)

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  28. Screw finals, I'm making these. Even if it is raining outside.

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  29. You should name your son Gaudior because it means the joy which without the universe would collapse.

    Of course, that's a joke.

    What you should name him is Alfredo Linguini.

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  30. The ice cream sandwiches sound wonderful. You sound exuberant. I hope the new year brings you health and a large measure of happiness. You have much to look forward to. Have a great day. Blessings...Mary

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  31. a boy? A BOY?! A BOY?!?!?! the world needs less icky boys and more girls! girls who will grow up just to be just like their mother (obviously in this case, YOU! yay!) apparently if you eat more cheese and salty things while he's in your womb you can turn him into a girl, or something like that. go look for cheese!!

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  32. Who cares if you're biased by mommy brain as long as the food tastes good! Congratulations!

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  33. I will be trying these ice cream cookies soon. Except I will have to make the ice cream because ice cream in Malawi is BLECH!

    And DinTai ung...Xaio Long Bao....I just spent 2 long days in the kitchen this week trying to recreate these little bundles of joy. I did OK, they tasted pretty good, had soup in most of them, and satisfied the cravings for now, but if there was a Din Tai Fung anywhere on this continent I would wait in line for hours for the real thing. They are sooooo goood!

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  34. I just wanted to say thank you for such a continually wonderful blog. I look forward to each post! I also empathize with the Chinese Food craving. My daughter couldn't get enough Thai food before she was born.

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  35. This looks absolutely stunning. I am surprised you got a decent shot, I would have ate it all. It looks delicious. Your photos are breath taking. Sorry about your cheesecake disaster, it is true bummer when something doesn't work, but these look gorgeous. And dulce le leche ice cream? I'll take 12 please. Gorgeous dumplings as well!

    Stumbled upon your blog~ Will share with others!

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  36. When making macarons, is it crucial to keep with the recommended percentage of sugar used? Can the amount of confectioner sugar that is mixed with the nut flour be decreased somewhat to cut down slightly on the sweetness? Or is there some wiggle room in the amount of sugar used in the cooked syrup for the meringue?
    I have been positively hooked on pursuing the "perfect" macarons and have been staying up till 3 or 4 in the morning on consecutive nights for the last month or so,baking multiple batches and checking as many helpful blogs as I can read with my eyes half closed from lack of sleep. Lo-and-behold, today I stumbled on your blog for the very first time and this will be another favorite site that I will frequent;your information on troubleshooting is the best out there - and believe me, I've read hundreds already. Maybe now I can make consistently good macarons (so far it's been about 10% success).

    Why am I posting a question about macarons here? - b/c I couln't find an email to address this question and figured since this is the most recent posting, it might get a quick response.
    Thanks, and I LOVE your blog!

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  37. I moderate comments on posts more than two weeks old, so I don't miss any discussion from previous months/years. No worries about posting in older threads, I try to answer most of the questions the day I approve them.

    As for adjusting the sugar there is a little wiggle room, yes. However, not enough to reduce the sweetness to any noticeable degree. IF you want to make a macaron that is less sweet, I would choose the French meringue style over the Italian. French meringue macarons have a lighter, more cookie-like sweetness.

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  38. Dear Ms. Humble, You are my new favorite person. Just so you know, those oatmeal ice cream sandwiches REALLY DO pair deliciously with the brown sugar vanilla ice cream. I made them yesterday, during a Sunday baking session that got increasingly ambitious (I tasted the ice cream and was so enamored that I had to try more of your recipes,NOW) and they were divine. I had to have company over to prevent me from eating more than one, as I am not pregnant, leaving me no excuse for my failure to lose the baby weight from the previous one. Thank you for posting. Oh, and congratulations on the boy! We love boys at my house.

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  39. I made the cookies with chocolate chips and pecans and they were SO GOOD!
    I've been looking for a new oatmeal recipe that was crispier and this is it. Thank you! And congrats!

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